Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

बभूव नर्मदा देवी प्रावृट्काल इव शर्वरी । देवतायतनैर्नैकैः पूजासंस्कारशोभिता

Transliteration

babhūva narmadā devī prāvṛṭkāla iva śarvarī | devatāyatanairnaikaiḥ pūjāsaṃskāraśobhitā

Translation

La Déesse Narmadā devint telle une nuit de la saison des pluies, magnifiquement embellie par de nombreux sanctuaires divins, et parée de culte et de rites sacrés.

Word by Word

• babhūva: became, was
• babhūva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• narmadā: Narmadā
• narmadā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devī: goddess
• devī: Viśeṣya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपाधि

• prāvṛṭ-kālaḥ: the rainy season
• prāvṛṭ-kālaḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāvṛṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘प्रावृटः कालः’ (rainy-season time)

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (like)

• śarvarī: night
• śarvarī: Upameya (Compared entity/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devatā-āyatanaiḥ: with temples of deities
• devatā-āyatanaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष

• naikaiḥ: many
• naikaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: na+eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘नैक’ = अनेक (many); विशेषण

• pūjā-saṃskāra-śobhitā: adorned with worship and rituals
• pūjā-saṃskāra-śobhitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃskāra (प्रातिपदिक) + śobhita (कृदन्त; √śubh/√śobh)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘शोभित’ (adorned); तत्पुरुष: ‘पूजया संस्कारेण च शोभिता’ (adorned by worship and rites)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā) Devī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monsoon night over the Narmadā: deep indigo sky, rain clouds, shimmering reflections on water; numerous small temples and lamps along the banks; priests performing pūjā; the river-goddess subtly present in the glow.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Devatā (gods)
• Pūjā
• Saṃskāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of a river-tīrtha is amplified by living practice—temples, pūjā, and saṃskāras make the sacred visible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) river-region, envisioned as a vast corridor of deity-shrines and ritual worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) and saṃskāra (ritual observances/consecrations) are mentioned generally, not as a single fixed vow.